Numerous Teenagers Voted Illegally In Wisconsin’s Presidential Primary

Dozens of 17-year-olds voted illegally in last April’s presidential primary in Wisconsin, according to a report from the state Elections Commission.

In a draft report to the state Legislature, the commission shared information from local elections officials showing about 70 teenagers voted illegally in the primary. It’s not legal to vote in Wisconsin unless you’re 18 years old on or before Election Day.

The commission believes “a number of factors” led to the incidents, the report states.

“Our information is that, in a lot of these cases, the students believed that the law in Wisconsin allowed them to vote,” said Reid Magney, spokesman for the state Elections Commission.

It is legal in some states to vote in primary elections at age 17 if you are 18 years old by the general election. Magney said national messaging about that from presidential campaigns or media may have confused some teens.

He said the body overseeing state elections, then called the Government Accountability Board, didn’t see similar instances of teenage voter fraud in the 2008 or 2012 presidential elections.

The cases have been referred from local elections officials to district attorneys.